Application Engineer

Sotalent; West Chester (Chester County); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Sotalent in West Chester, PA is seeking an engineering professional to bridge customers, sales, and engineering. You will help deliver electromechanical and motion-based solutions from concept through production launch in a hybrid work setting.

The role emphasizes translating customer needs into technical specifications, leading cross-functional projects, and providing hands-on guidance across product lifecycles. Travel to customer sites may be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics or related field.
• 3–5+ years in a customer-facing technical role.
• Experience translating customer needs into technical specs.
• Strong communication and multi-project management skills.
• Willingness to travel for customer meetings.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary technical contact for customers throughout the project lifecycle.
• Understand customer requirements, performance expectations, and application challenges.
• Recommend standard or customized engineering solutions that align with customer objectives.
• Translate customer needs into detailed technical specifications for internal teams.
• Evaluate applications, conduct technical assessments, and support performance validation activities.
• Provide engineering guidance on electromechanical systems, motion technologies, and related products.
• Support the development of customized solutions for highly demanding applications.
• Serve as a technical expert for product capabilities and application suitability.
• Lead projects from initial concept through development, testing, qualification, and launch.
• Coordinate activities across engineering, operations, manufacturing, quality, and commercial teams.
• Manage schedules, milestones, risks, and deliverables to ensure successful project execution.
• Maintain long-term customer engagement throughout extended development cycles.
• Partner with internal teams to deliver effective customer solutions.
• Facilitate communication between customers and technical stakeholders.
• Participate in technical reviews, design discussions, and product introduction activities.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with customer engineering and program teams.
• Support technical presentations, design reviews, and customer meetings.
• Provide ongoing technical guidance throughout the lifecycle of customer programs.
• Identify opportunities to expand business and strengthen customer partnerships.
• Gather customer feedback and industry insights related to emerging technologies and applications.
• Provide recommendations that support future product enhancements and strategic growth initiatives.

Skills

Bachelor's degree in ME/EE/Mechatronic

3-5+ years customer-facing engineering

Customer communication

Multi-project management

Travel willingness

Solution articulation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical or Mechatronics Engineering

Job description

Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States (Hybrid)

Industry: Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution

Work Setting: Hybrid

Are you passionate about developing innovative engineering solutions and working directly with customers to solve complex technical challenges?

We are seeking a dynamic engineering professional to serve as the key link between customers, sales teams, and internal engineering groups. In this customer-facing role, you will help deliver advanced electromechanical and motion-based solutions while supporting projects from concept and development through testing, qualification, and production launch.

Key Responsibilities

Customer Engagement & Technical Solutions

• Act as the primary technical contact for customers throughout the project lifecycle.
• Understand customer requirements, performance expectations, and application challenges.
• Recommend standard or customized engineering solutions that align with customer objectives.
• Translate customer needs into detailed technical specifications for internal teams.

Application Engineering & Technical Expertise

• Evaluate applications, conduct technical assessments, and support performance validation activities.
• Provide engineering guidance on electromechanical systems, motion technologies, and related products.
• Support the development of customized solutions for highly demanding applications.
• Serve as a technical expert for product capabilities and application suitability.

Program & Project Management

• Lead projects from initial concept through development, testing, qualification, and launch.
• Coordinate activities across engineering, operations, manufacturing, quality, and commercial teams.
• Manage schedules, milestones, risks, and deliverables to ensure successful project execution.
• Maintain long-term customer engagement throughout extended development cycles.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with internal teams to deliver effective customer solutions.
• Facilitate communication between customers and technical stakeholders.
• Participate in technical reviews, design discussions, and product introduction activities.

Customer Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with customer engineering and program teams.
• Support technical presentations, design reviews, and customer meetings.
• Provide ongoing technical guidance throughout the lifecycle of customer programs.
• Identify opportunities to expand business and strengthen customer partnerships.

Market & Product Insights

• Gather customer feedback and industry insights related to emerging technologies and applications.
• Provide recommendations that support future product enhancements and strategic growth initiatives.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, or a related engineering field.
• 3-5+ years of experience in Application Engineering, Sales Engineering, Systems Engineering, Product Engineering, or a similar customer-facing technical role.
• Experience working directly with customers to develop and implement technical solutions.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
• Willingness to travel as needed for customer meetings and project support.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with motion control systems, electric motors, electromechanical products, or related technologies.
• Background in highly regulated industries such as aerospace, defense, medical devices, or advanced manufacturing.
• Familiarity with complex product development cycles and qualification processes.
• Experience supporting custom-engineered solutions and new product introduction activities.
• Knowledge of compliance-driven environments and industry regulations.